KFC partnered with the highly-addictive Guitar Hero World Tour for a cross-promotional something-or-other. Redeem codes for branded Guitar Hero cups from KFC Rocks.

More importantly, try your hand at this "crowd surfing" game. Hit the arrows to the beat, and keep your emo rocker dude from falling to the bottom of the mosh pit.

The game was put together by Creative Alliance, a KFC agency, in collaboration with The Basement Design + Motion. It's funny, though: after playing a few times, I craved both chicken and Dance, Dance Revolution.

Witness with envy as the world's largest beach ball -- 36 feet across -- alights upon a throng of Dallas citizens, hands high over heads like children with a giant parachute.

"that is fuckin incredible lol," gushes one of the more eloquent viewers on YouTube.

The ball, a promotional effort by Carnival Cruise Lines, set the world record for largest beach ball last Sunday. Witnesses to the historic moment were treated to live music, free food and cruise giveaways by Senior Cruise Director John Heald.

This half-hour Obama spot aired on eight networks during prime-time last night. (Sorta like the Presidential debates ... except with just one candidate.)

It's slow-moving and demagogic, with the distinct vanilla flavor of Christian family TV, but Obama's honeyed tone is soothing, like a lullaby. As an added bonus, it's oddly devoid of plumbers named Joe.

"I didn't get a church-related feeling, but my wife loved the wheat," said colleague Michael Kimsal when we discussed the ad this morning. "We then watched the pundits afterward, and half of them loved the wheat too."

Building on that hard-up plebe vibe, Adrants reader Olivier was all, "Felt like Grapes of Wrath II at times."

For year two of the Detroit Institute of Arts' "Let Yourself Go" rebrand, Perich Advertising + Design tapped Head Gear Animation/Toronto to produce two spots:

o In "Son of Hatman," Hatman takes his son to the museum. Seeing the art makes them part of it.

I once saw a Tales from the Darkside episode with a similar premise: a guy on the lam runs into a museum and prays to be hidden inside a peaceful painting of a fisherman. But because he spends his prayertime looking at a picture of Jesus being crucified, that's where God puts him. Oh, horrors.

o In "Thinker," a stumped writer leaps off his perch and hits the DIA for inspiration.

Writer's block hurts, and while I'm sure forking over $8 to see other people's masterpieces must help, I find it hard to believe he didn't try drinking first. It's the path of least resistance. Cheaper, too.

In typical ADD (or is it the brilliant acknowledgment of the public's ever shortening attention span) style, Crispin Porter + Bogusky is out with yet another iteration of Microsoft's $300 million campaign. This time, perhaps anticipating the fact $300 million might not remain $300 million given current economic conditions, the agency is treating us to...wait for it...CONSUMER-GENERATED CONTENT! Yes, you read that right, bucko! Rather than Jerry and Bill, we'll be treated to...Mr and Mrs. Nobody With A Video Camera.

The videos, which call for people to say, "I'm a PC" followed by some inanity, have been integrated into television commercials which are currently airing. Check out over 17,000 videos and photos here.

It breaks my heart to see this little boy fashion a monster out of clay, then wander around in search of someone who'll appreciate it.

Nobody does, and the boy wanders alone into the dark kitchen -- where, like magic, IKEA's Bjursta table produces a feast that brings his dispersed family members out of hiding. (Presumably to give him the love he so craves, but probably just so they can eat and run.)

In this spot from the same campaign, an Ektorp sofa liberates messy, popcorn-crunching couch potatoes in ways the outside world -- with its endless variety of VERBOTEN signs -- does not.

Simply-done and slightly magical, somewhat like IKEA. Produced by Outsider for agency St. Lukes Communications, client IKEA.